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Bambusa ventricosa (Buddha's Belly Bamboo) - A clumping bamboo that grows to 12 and 15 feet tall with swollen nodes and bent culms that are bare near the base to expose the stems with a rounded belly look, in a way resembling the form of Buddha. Ultimate height depends on soil quality and irrigation practices. In poor, dry soil or otherwise confined conditions it will stay smaller, reaching only to around 6 feet tall.
Plant in full sun to light shade and irrigate occasionally. Has proven harden in our area to short duration temperatures down to 20-25° F. It is an interesting specimen bamboo used as an individual specimen for a focal point in the garden. Bambusa ventricosa is native to Vietnam and to Guangdong province in southern China. The name for the genus comes from the Dutch word 'bamboes' or 'bamboo' that was a modification of Malay word 'bambu' and the specific epithet is from the Latin words 'venter' meaning "belly" and 'osa" meaning "abundance" in reference to the swollen culm internodes.
We previously grew a form of Bambusa ventricosa that reached to 30 feet tall and had straighter culms that arched outward and this form is now often referred to as the Giant Form, but the form we now offer is shorter with more distinctly bulging culms and is sometimes called Dwarf Buddha Belly Bamboo, Wamin Bamboo or Vulgaris Bamboo.
This information about Bambusa ventricosa displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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